First Impressions of Voom

[azfrog]

After about 4 hours of viewing I've already got some interesting first impressions:

1. The PQ is fantastic on the Voom originals. The content is pretty lame but I knew that before I bought. There's such a lack of HD content being produced you can hardly blame that on Voom. I have a Sammy DLP and Voom HD brings it to life.

2. Channel surfing is pretty much impossible. I've never had a satellite so maybe they're all like this but you can't jam through the program guides or menus like on cable. And if you get going fast you can lock up the receiver. The re-set then takes about 45 minutes to get all the program information back from the receiver. I know, I've already done it twice.

3. The Program Guide is really difficult to use, as it shows a half-hour block over the entire screen. I need to see a few hours at once, not a half hour each page.

4. The Rave channel is probably the best content for the broadest audience. Sound is awesome and the effect of watching music on a well-lit stage in HD is very cool. Plus they actually have some pretty good musicians on there (saw Counting Crows and that was very nice). Oh, and Beyonce's show sucked...good looking in HD but this girl needs to stick to the studio where they can make her sound like she can sing.

Overall, as I said, my biggest issue is the channel surfing. I guess I'll just have to change the way I watch TV.

 

[barth2k]

do you know what firmware version you are using? click Help, then info, then ok, and scroll down a couple of times.

latest is 5.68. if you have something less, turn it off at night and let it update the software. this will speed up channel tuning by A LOT. it still won't be instantaneous like cable though.

 

[andrzej]

It seems that you still have the old software. Wait a day or two and your STB software will get upgraded overnight with several nice improvements.
And enjoy!

 

[azfrog]

I'll check that out when I get home tonight. Thanks for the tip. I hope it is the old firmware. It's strange that the box just arrived on Saturday but it wouldn't have the latest firmware. Maybe they were reaching way back in their old inventory when mine got shipped.

Do I have to power it off each night to get this?

 

[deeann]

I think it's been better since the most recent software update but as I've still gotten the occasional lockup changing channels too fast I still take it easy. What I usually do instead is use the 'surf/info bar' (blue up-down arrows) to check out what's on the other channels. You can go through them a lot faster (though you don't actually get to see what's on the other channels, you get title info and time). If you do that, you can also hit the 'info' button from there for additonal information- but don't exit out of it when you're done (or hit the 'info' button again), it will take you back to the channel you're currently viewing. Instead hit the 'up' arrow to continue. If you see something you like hit the "ok" button and it will take you to that channel. It takes a little bit of getting used to at first but overall it's pretty easy.

 

[azfrog]

Thanks, deannn. I started scrolling as you described and I'm learning not to exit out of it because I kept making that mistake and going back to the current channel. It just takes time to get used to the Voom quirks.

 

[Walter L.]

...
It's strange that the box just arrived on Saturday but it wouldn't have the latest firmware. Maybe they were reaching way back in their old inventory when mine got shipped.
...

It's a FACT that ALL STB's are shipped with the old firmware. You'll love channel surfing after the upgrade. Beware that for some reason the upgrade doesn't necessarily happen the 1st night, in some cases it may take few days.

 

[azfrog]

Walter,

That's good to know. I'm confused though. If my STB is off, how does it receive firmware upgrades? Seems like it would need to be "on" to download the software from the satellite. If it's "off" it seems like it would just sit there. Can someone clarify for me?

 

[Sean Mota]

Walter,

That's good to know. I'm confused though. If my STB is off, how does it receive firmware upgrades? Seems like it would need to be "on" to download the software from the satellite. If it's "off" it seems like it would just sit there. Can someone clarify for me?

When it is off, it is in standby mode. So it is really never off unless you unplug the plug.

 

[Walter L.]

Walter,

That's good to know. I'm confused though. If my STB is off, how does it receive firmware upgrades? Seems like it would need to be "on" to download the software from the satellite. If it's "off" it seems like it would just sit there. Can someone clarify for me?

Actually, your STB is not OFF but it is at "stand-by" mode (of course, unless you unplug the A/C cord).
"Stand-by" mode (as oppose to ON) is necessary for the update.

 

[azfrog]

Ah, got it. Since I didn't get a user guide I'll find it online and learn how to set it in "Standby" mode.

 

[kawdog]

I think they are saying when it is "OFF" it is in standby mode, but it is never completely without power unless you unplug it. So simply turning the receiver OFF at night will put it in standby and it should get the update.

kaw

 

[Ken F]

2. Channel surfing is pretty much impossible. I've never had a satellite so maybe they're all like this but you can't jam through the program guides or menus like on cable. And if you get going fast you can lock up the receiver. The re-set then takes about 45 minutes to get all the program information back from the receiver. I know, I've already done it twice.

Don't forget to configure your favorites list. This can be accessed directly from a button on the remote, bypassing the horrific VOOM menu. I have the guide button on my universal remote configured with the favorites button.

Perhaps the greatest annoyance with the current software is that it sticks you back at channel 100 everytime you bring up favorites or the guide. The next software version -- expected in the near future -- should fix this. It should move to the currently selected channel whenever you bring up the guide.

 

[FunkyBoss]

Perhaps the greatest annoyance with the current software is that it sticks you back at channel 100 everytime you bring up favorites or the guide. The next software version -- expected in the near future -- should fix this. It should move to the currently selected channel whenever you bring up the guide.

I hadn't heard yet that this would be in the next software update. That would be wonderful! Probably my biggest gripe with the PG.

 

[vinnyv07]

After about 4 hours of viewing I've already got some interesting first impressions

2. Channel surfing is pretty much impossible. I've never had a satellite so maybe they're all like this but you can't jam through the program guides or menus like on cable. And if you get going fast you can lock up the receiver. The re-set then takes about 45 minutes to get all the program information back from the receiver. I know, I've already done it twice.

3. The Program Guide is really difficult to use, as it shows a half-hour block over the entire screen. I need to see a few hours at once, not a half hour each page.

.

On the ch surfing...as compared to my cable HD receiver that I used to have...the cable receiver was slow also. It was a scintific Atalnta HD receiver and if I tried to surf through the HD ch's and I didnt pause , the receiver ould lock up. Also, I have a DTC-100...old HD receiver from Directv ...its just as fast as the VOOM receiver is. I think the VOOM receiver is actually better than the one I had for TWC.
I agree with the Program Guide comment. It really throws me for a loop when there is 2 mins left in the show and the program guide is showing across the screen...like the next show is an hour away. They should really do something about that.

 

[azfrog]

OK, I got the new firmware last night and it did seem to go much faster now. Don't know about other issues I was having (like screen blackout) as I didn't have time to play with it.

Thanks for your help on this guys.